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Mesubim Defined

Interested in travel and exploring, we begin a new journey, and a new chapter. Mesubim was founded in October 15th, 2012, and was inspired by a friend who thought we should share our food knowledge. The journey is just lets say somewhat complex, as it involves a small family unit of /4/ and our focus is quality of life, and not decadence even though people confuse the two.

Since the beginning, Mesubim has been exploring the development of socio-pleasures through the sharing of products, ideas, experiences, with our focus in on quality, tradition and modern-day aesthetics.

Mesubim are not food critics, and we typically do not write about restaurants with the intention to review them. However we are keenly interested in the details of cuisine, process and systems, so sometimes we comment. But our comments are not meant to be hurtful, despite the fact that we are sometimes critical even difficult for some readers to accept our views.

Frequently we are asked, ‘what does the word Mesubim mean’, and I reply, Mesubim is a word that isn’t frequently used today, at least not in its original context but for some it represents freedom. However during ancient Greek and Roman times, reclining was the only proper way to eat for aristocrats. Elite Greeks and Romans reclined to feast, and ordinary people copied them when they could, and if they could, it was a privilege. But over time, our eating habits modernized and in the 15th century during the renaissance chairs became more commonly used.

The formality of spaces changed, and in the late 17th century the dinning room became a place of social importance along with card rooms, libraries etc. In the 19th century these barriers were removed by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, who broke down the barriers of defining walls, and created a free flow of space. Since then formality of spaces diminished the design of households changed forever. Eventually the formal spaces disappeared, except amongst the very elite and wealthy, and or in situations where formality, or privacy is required.

In our case our kitchen is the dinning room is inside our kitchen, the luxury of modern kitchens have become a way of life, and that’s part of the Mesubim philosophy. But more than that, Mesubim is about the changes we are experiencing in daily life, the quick fix of Instagram, the Internet and the notion of loosing or trading tradition for ease and convenience. Yes it’s a virtual world we live in, but there is nothing virtual about the physical connection we have around a table. But that’s not enough.

The importance of tradition is something that’s slipping away, and being replaced by machines and computers that shorten process, and increase speed. I am not against these changes, as long as we continue to understand, respect, appreciate the importance of tradition.

There are many traditions most people are not aware of; one of them is Origata, a lost word few Japanese know today. Simply defined, is the method used by upper-class Samurai families in the 14th Century, the wrapping gifts with handmade paper without the use of scissors, tape or glue. The aesthetic connection represented a bonding and was thought to forge stronger relationships, but after World War II, Origata was suddenly lost due to western influences in Japanese culture.

We’ve seen how people focus on ritual practices in order to establish a connection between present-day and the ancient past. Mesubim understands the importance of sharing values to maintain tradition and ideologies without compromising true values to a point where they are sensible, or practical in everyday daily life.

That is the Mesubim challenge, a disciplined approach, the acceptance of tradition and the importance of nature as one of our prime beings. We focus on education; sharing and helping people understand the importance on how to appreciate what life has to offer both in the past, present and future.